Part 454

Prac"ti*cal*ly (?), adv. 1. In a practical way; not theoretically; really; as, to look at things practically; practically worthless.

2. By means of practice or use; by experience or experiment; as, practically wise or skillful; practically acquainted with a subject.

3. In practice or use; as, a medicine practically safe; theoretically wrong, but practically right.

Prac"ti*cal*ness, n. Same as Practicality.

Prac"ti*cal*ize (?), v. t. To render practical. [R.] "Practicalizing influences." J. S. Mill.

Prac"tice (?), n. [OE. praktike, practique, F. pratique, formerly also, practique, LL. practica, fr. Gr. &?;, fr. &?; practical. See Practical, and cf. Pratique, Pretty.] 1. Frequently repeated or customary action; habitual performance; a succession of acts of a similar kind; usage; habit; custom; as, the practice of rising early; the practice of making regular entries of accounts; the practice of daily exercise.

A heart . . . exercised with covetous practices.

2 Pet. ii. 14.

2. Customary or constant use; state of being used.

Obsolete words may be revived when they are more sounding or more significant than those in practice.

Dryden.

3. Skill or dexterity acquired by use; expertness. [R.] "His nice fence and his active practice." Shak.

4. Actual performance; application of knowledge; -- opposed to theory.

There are two functions of the soul, -- contemplation and practice.

South.

There is a distinction, but no opposition, between theory and practice; each, to a certain extent, supposes the other; theory is dependent on practice; practice must have preceded theory.

Sir W. Hamilton.

5. Systematic exercise for instruction or discipline; as, the troops are called out for practice; she neglected practice in music.

6. Application of science to the wants of men; the exercise of any profession; professional business; as, the practice of medicine or law; a large or lucrative practice.

Practice is exercise of an art, or the application of a science in life, which application is itself an art.

Sir W. Hamilton.

7. Skillful or artful management; dexterity in contrivance or the use of means; art; stratagem; artifice; plot; -- usually in a bad sense. [Obs.] Bacon.

He sought to have that by practice which he could not by prayer.

Sir P. Sidney.

8. (Math.) A easy and concise method of applying the rules of arithmetic to questions which occur in trade and business.

9. (Law) The form, manner, and order of conducting and carrying on suits and prosecutions through their various stages, according to the principles of law and the rules laid down by the courts. Bouvier.

Syn. -- Custom; usage; habit; manner.

Prac"tice (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Practiced (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Practicing (?).] [Often written practise, practised, practising.] 1. To do or perform frequently, customarily, or habitually; to make a practice of; as, to practice gaming. "Incline not my heart . . . practice wicked works." Ps. cxli. 4.